All FB coaching rumors and speculation

[cygrads]

IMO Campbell is not the top pick. Fickel and Freeman probably first choices. Freeman has a great shot. Reminds me of Lincoln Riley and Ryan Day being in house and elevated. Picking Freeman would ensure the retention of ND’s #4 recruiting class and players. They are lobbying for him to get the job. Our disappointing season may work in our favor. We were #7 pre-season. We are now 7-5 and unranked. It might be a blessing.

Agree, ND probably knew about BK going to LSU well before it was made public and ADs always have a list ready so if CMC was their first choice he would have been hired by now. Freeman and AD may be in negotiations now if he is top of the list or Fickel is their first choice and Freeman is next in line and they're trying to slow roll Freeman until they find out if they can get Fickell or finish those negotiations.

 

[CYaeger]

this is true

 

[Stormin]

I actually disagree about it being a blessing. First, it is never a blessing to go from top 10 to unranked. That aside, in some ways it may hurt the chances that Campbell sticks around. Perhaps he now believes that "if I can't get over the mountain at ISU with the level of talent I had this year, it probably won't happen".

Either way, I think it is strange to have expectations of a 10+ win season ending at 7-5 and call it a blessing.

If ISU was undefeated and in the CFP playoff conversation, Campbell would be offered. He would be gone. It is the disappointing record while having a stacked team that throws up red flags for Notre Dame. We have lost 4 games we could have won. Losing 1 game like that at Notre Dame is reason for termination.

Freeman is considered to be the next Lincoln Riley or Ryan Day. Notre Dame is not going to let him go and let their #4 recruiting class implode.

 

[bawbie]

this is true

that is not true. Iowa State fans are always running around freaked out that the sky is raining ash and lava at the slightest flake of snow.

 

[CycloneErik]

I actually disagree about it being a blessing. First, it is never a blessing to go from top 10 to unranked. That aside, in some ways it may hurt the chances that Campbell sticks around. Perhaps he now believes that "if I can't get over the mountain at ISU with the level of talent I had this year, it probably won't happen".

Either way, I think it is strange to have expectations of a 10+ win season ending at 7-5 and call it a blessing.

I agree.

At the same time, I could see his market opportunities possibly sealed off due to those prepping for September problems that keep popping up. So I have no real idea how any of this turns out.

 

[stewart092284]

this is true

maybe I am morbid but that made me laugh

 

[AuH2O]

I get that sentiment, but we are a totally different school since McCarney started. The facilities are great, the fan base is great, the administration is top notch. We have much to offer that we didn't in our history. The next coach is not starting from 0-11, or even 3-9. The cupboard, assuming many would stay, is as full as it's ever been. JP knows the CMC formula and knows what works here and would look for those same qualities in the next coach. So I agree 50-50 is not likely, but 5-95 is more unlikely.

John Blake at OU, Sark, Strong at Texas, Shula and DuBose at Alabama, RichRod and Hoke at Michigan...

The list goes on. These coaches pretty much failed at programs that are all but recession-proof. Is the program at least in a place that someone doesn't think it's automatic to fail? Sure. But let's face it - with the money the Big 10 and SEC is going to get, ISU is going to pay less than all of them and a good portion of the rest of the power conference schools. We're still in a poor recruiting area with other P5 competition all around us. We don't have jack **** for legit donors. This is still one of the hardest jobs in power conference college football. Campbell helped make it palatable to more candidates, but we're still going to have to take a chance on somebody that's an up and comer. That's still the reality of our program and probably always will be.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I never said if Freeman would take the job or not….. just that it would be an upgrade IMO.

Freeman would bring some of his recruits with him, and he would recruit at an amazing level IMO.

Recruiting to Notre Dame and recruiting to Iowa State are two totally different things that take two totally different skill sets, IMO.

Not saying he wouldn't recruit well other places but it's a helluva lot easier start when you can lead with 'Hi, I'm Coach Freeman from Notre Dame'.

Same thing applies in reverse to Campbell going there.

 

[DGC]

The best coach we have ever has in program history leaves for his "dream Job." 3 1/2 seasons later he is under .500 and fired. JP hires a guy who is not a builder, but a maintainer. He has a couple good seasons, although they do not reach potential, with recruits from the previous administration. Team goes straight down from there. By year 6 he can't even win a conference game.

 

[Win5002]

I hope the Bears don't want Day because that could create two big midwest HC jobs open in ND & OSU. It seems like Fickell is the hot choice probably for both schools, but if the 2nd job is open then it gets a little more concerning possibly losing Campbell.

 

[jcyclonee]

If ISU was undefeated and in the CFP playoff conversation, Campbell would be offered. He would be gone. It is the disappointing record while having a stacked team that throws up red flags for Notre Dame. We have lost 4 games we could have won. Losing 1 game like that at Notre Dame is reason for termination.

Freeman is considered to be the next Lincoln Riley or Ryan Day. Notre Dame is not going to let him go and let their #4 recruiting class implode.

I suppose this is part of Notre Dame's due process. They are checking with the recruits to see who they are truly committed to - Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, or Marcus Freeman.

 

[isufbcurt]

ISU ending up with Freeman after all this would be an upgrade for us IMO.

Jamie would not pay what Freeman would require

 

[AuH2O]

I would say Fickel staying at UC is good if and only if Freeman takes the ND job. Then it's great. Otherwise, not so great at all.

Anyone other than Campbell taking the job is great. Anyone other than Campbell that's a legit candidate turning it down is terrible. All the other impacts are a drop in the ocean to ISU football compared to where Campbell is coaching next year.

 

[Cyclones01]

I actually disagree about it being a blessing. First, it is never a blessing to go from top 10 to unranked. That aside, in some ways it may hurt the chances that Campbell sticks around. Perhaps he now believes that "if I can't get over the mountain at ISU with the level of talent I had this year, it probably won't happen".

Either way, I think it is strange to have expectations of a 10+ win season ending at 7-5 and call it a blessing.

Everything we know about Matt Campbell suggests to me that he would never think this way.

 

[TheHelgo]

If ISU was undefeated and in the CFP playoff conversation, Campbell would be offered. He would be gone. It is the disappointing record while having a stacked team that throws up red flags for Notre Dame. We have lost 4 games we could have won. Losing 1 game like that at Notre Dame is reason for termination.

Freeman is considered to be the next Lincoln Riley or Ryan Day. Notre Dame is not going to let him go and let their #4 recruiting class implode.

Ok, but what is the ultimate point of having a great coaching staff? To get in the CFP conversation and have a shot, right? If that would have been our reality this year, losing Campbell would be understandable and we would be in a great position to attract other high coach talent. Or, Campbell maybe realizes he absolutely CAN create his own legacy from a program built from the bottom up if expectations were met. The way it stands now, we underperformed expectations, and may still lose Campbell. It may even be more likely due to what I mentioned in my original post.

You don't hire coaches hoping they underperform so it is harder for them to get hired somewhere else. The point is to win and be successful, right?

 

[Gunnerclone]

I hope the Bears don't want Day because that could create two big midwest HC jobs open in ND & OSU. It seems like Fickell is the hot choice probably for both schools, but if the 2nd job is open then it gets a little more concerning possibly losing Campbell.

tOSU fan/donor are not going to take Fickell back.

 

[drmwevr08]

Sure, Fickell staying at Cincy probably means disaster for ISU football as it clears the way for ISU to lose one of the best coaches in the country, and puts us right back to the nearly impossible odds of finding a coach that can succeed here and won't bolt after the first 6 win season, but on the bright side there might be a slight improvement in quality and perception of the new Big XII...

I remember going 3-9 or 5-7 or even 6-7 and the best we had was conference smack talk and living vicariously the good teams in the conference. It was horrible. I don't think people appreciate just how hard it is to find the right guy that can be successful at ISU. It isn't like 50-50. It's like 5-95. Odds are the next coach, and the one after, and the one after is not going to be successful at the level of Campbell. And the odds are if one is successful he's gone. That's just the way CFB is at a program like ISU.

So no. You root for anyone at all that might be ahead of Campbell on NDs list to take the job.

Given this, you have to root for CMC not wanting the job, because if he does , but just doesn't get offered that is only a momentary reprieve. I can't see that being the thing that keeps him here forever. I also can't see him wanting only one other job.

 

[Cyched]

Ok, but what is the ultimate point of having a great coaching staff? To get in the CFP conversation and have a shot, right? If that would have been our reality this year, losing Campbell would be understandable and we would be in a great position to attract other high coach talent. Or, Campbell maybe realizes he absolutely CAN create his own legacy from a program built from the bottom up if expectations were met. The way it stands now, we underperformed expectations, and may still lose Campbell. It may even be more likely due to what I mentioned in my original post.

You don't hire coaches hoping they underperform so it is harder for them to get hired somewhere else. The point is to win and be successful, right?

Thing is, I'd be more at peace if he left had he gone 10-2 with a Big 12 'ship or Sugar appearance. But that's the way it works out sometimes at a place like ISU.

Given this year's underperformance, I'd like to see Campbell see through this next cycle of recruits. I think there's enough of an upgrade in talent that we would have a little more room for error and get over the hump.

Either way, if he stays with those guys he'll have given us a decade of our best football, which would position us well.

 

[clonedude]

Jamie would not pay what Freeman would require

Again…. I have NEVER said we could land Freeman. I just said that if we did, it would be an upgrade IMO.

CMC not having a good year and saying things like winning the Big 12 was never a goal of his are hurting his chances of landing his dream job right now.

Not saying he won’t end up at ND, but if he had a lot better season this year, he’d probably be #1 on their list.

 

[jsb]

Again…. I have NEVER said we could land Freeman. I just said that if we did, it would be an upgrade IMO.

CMC not having a good year and saying things like winning the Big 12 was never a goal of his are hurting his chances of landing his dream job right now.

Not saying he won’t end up at ND, but if he had a lot better season this year, he’d probably be #1 on their list.

For all we know he's #1 on their list now.